Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information - Statements of Income 1 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 905,093	$ 642,418	$ 2,720,982	$ 1,846,982
Cost of goods sold	592,883	436,972	1,849,740	1,238,574
Gross profit	312,210	205,446	871,242	608,408
Selling, general and administrative expenses	137,615	66,012	421,092	211,127
Research and development expenses	25,295	22,407	77,123	66,916
Restructuring and other, net	(6,804)	293	(6,804)	20,625
Acquisition and integration related costs	42,798	10,261	126,487	15,104
Intercompany service fee	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	113,306	106,473	253,344	294,636
Interest and financing expenses	(32,058)	(8,749)	(100,986)	(26,255)
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	0		0	0
Other income (expenses), net	466	(6,618)	50,964	(6,454)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	81,714	91,106	203,322	261,927
Income tax expense (benefit)	16,892	11,737	48,171	46,700
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	64,822	79,369	155,151	215,227
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	6,050	8,650	22,236	28,200
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	70,872	88,019	177,387	243,427
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	(6,679)	0	(68,473)
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	70,872	81,340	177,387	174,954
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5,480)	(8,546)	(16,733)	(23,130)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	65,392	72,794	160,654	151,824
2014 Senior Notes | Issuer
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	357,269	403,072	1,109,661	1,198,531
Cost of goods sold	252,634	275,187	767,626	804,764
Gross profit	104,635	127,885	342,035	393,767
Selling, general and administrative expenses	40,721	42,836	127,591	141,411
Research and development expenses	12,874	13,959	39,143	41,772
Restructuring and other, net	(61)	(2,197)	(61)	8,049
Acquisition and integration related costs	28,479	10,261	86,648	15,104
Intercompany service fee	5,914	11,664	17,557	23,672
Operating profit	16,708	51,362	71,157	163,759
Interest and financing expenses	(21,758)	(8,791)	(70,279)	(26,320)
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	(8,697)		(23,143)	6,010
Other income (expenses), net	(2,320)	(3,151)	6,624	(2,161)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	(16,067)	39,420	(15,641)	141,288
Income tax expense (benefit)	(9,491)	7,636	(1,148)	40,156
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	(6,576)	31,784	(14,493)	101,132
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	1,315	997	5,072	4,926
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(5,261)	32,781	(9,421)	106,058
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	608	0	(20,549)
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	70,653	39,405	170,075	66,315
Net income	65,392	72,794	160,654	151,824
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	65,392	72,794	160,654	151,824
2014 Senior Notes | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of goods sold	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	46	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring and other, net	0	0	0	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany service fee	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	0	0	(46)	0
Interest and financing expenses	(12,546)	0	(36,257)	0
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	15,147		40,862	0
Other income (expenses), net	4,376	0	(26,844)	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	6,977	0	(22,285)	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	4,020	0	6,992	0
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	2,957	0	(29,277)	0
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	2,957	0	(29,277)	0
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	0	0	0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	33,465	0	117,147	0
Net income	36,422	0	87,870	0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	36,422	0	87,870	0
2014 Senior Notes | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	734,109	424,423	2,153,749	1,169,507
Cost of goods sold	526,534	342,149	1,622,121	953,726
Gross profit	207,575	82,274	531,628	215,781
Selling, general and administrative expenses	96,894	23,176	293,455	69,716
Research and development expenses	12,421	8,448	37,980	25,144
Restructuring and other, net	(6,743)	2,490	(6,743)	12,576
Acquisition and integration related costs	14,319	0	39,839	0
Intercompany service fee	(5,914)	(11,664)	(17,557)	(23,672)
Operating profit	96,598	59,824	184,654	132,017
Interest and financing expenses	2,246	42	5,550	65
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	(6,450)		(17,719)	(6,010)
Other income (expenses), net	(1,590)	(3,467)	71,184	(4,293)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	90,804	56,399	243,669	121,779
Income tax expense (benefit)	22,363	5,823	43,219	6,960
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	68,441	50,576	200,450	114,819
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	4,735	7,653	17,164	23,274
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	73,176	58,229	217,614	138,093
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	(7,287)	0	(47,924)
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	18,211	0	43,935	0
Net income	91,387	50,942	261,549	90,169
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5,480)	(8,546)	(16,733)	(23,130)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	85,907	42,396	244,816	67,039
2014 Senior Notes | Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(186,285)	(185,077)	(542,428)	(521,056)
Cost of goods sold	(186,285)	(180,364)	(540,007)	(519,916)
Gross profit	0	(4,713)	(2,421)	(1,140)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring and other, net	0	0	0	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany service fee	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	0	(4,713)	(2,421)	(1,140)
Interest and financing expenses	0	0	0	0
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	0		0	0
Other income (expenses), net	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	(4,713)	(2,421)	(1,140)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	(1,722)	(892)	(416)
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	(2,991)	(1,529)	(724)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	0	(2,991)	(1,529)	(724)
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	0	0	0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	(122,329)	(39,405)	(331,157)	(66,315)
Net income	(122,329)	(42,396)	(332,686)	(67,039)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	$ (122,329)	$ (42,396)	$ (332,686)	$ (67,039)